Persons with disabilities or families that have children with disabilities can now have an opportunity to buy a new, accessible home in Washington County thanks to the Washington County Board of Commissioners and the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington (RACW) under the Lots of Hope Homebuyer Assisntanc Program.  Funded by HUD, the program is being referred by the Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living and the homes are being built by Lots of Hope, Ltd, a developer of accessible houses.

Accessible housing is extremely difficult to find in the existing inventory of homes in Washington County.   Working persons with disabilities often times find themselves in a donut home, unable to qualify of housing assistance because they earn too much, but are unable to afford the costly conversion of existing affordable homes.  New Construction, built from the ground up with universal design and accessibility features are typically out of reach.  RACW's program provides an incredible opportunity for home ownership.

Under the Lots of Hope housing program, a qualified buyer is someone who has a physical disability that impacts housing choice and whose household income does not exceed $35,000 for a family of one, to as high as $66,000 for a family of eight.  The family must also be able to secure a mortgage approval for a minimum of $60,000.

Lots of Hope works with government agencies and disability advocacy groups to develop programs that increase the inventory of accessible homes by utilizing government owned vacant lots and turning them into new homes that provide independent living for persons with accessibility needs.  The vacant lot, often blighted, turns into a tax producing property while enhancing the neighborhood with new, accessible construction.  The person with a disability is given the opportunity to choose a home where they can live independently.

Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living (TRIPIL) provides core services of advocacy, skills training, peer support, nursing home transition, and other service referrals to persons with disabilities. 

For more details on qualify for the Lots of Hope housing program, please call Lucy Rooth at 412-824-1518.